


Stolen Forms

by Cherrylavendertea



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Gen, Shapeshifter! Demise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:13:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26366986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrylavendertea/pseuds/Cherrylavendertea
Summary: "According to tales passed down through generation, it appears differently in each epoch and to each person who lays eyes on it. Some say the monster is a shapeshifter, feeding off the fears of those it chooses as a victim.""So what do you fear, hero? What hurt you most as you fought for your goddess?"
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Stolen Forms

**Author's Note:**

> Adapted from another fic I wrote and based on the quote:
> 
> "According to tales passed down through  
> generations, it appears differently in  
> each epoch and to each person who  
> lays eyes on it."
> 
> A piece of Fi dialogue you get from target locking Demise.
> 
> Edit: forgot to mention some of this dialogue is straight out of the game

The portal left in Demise's wake was no different from the ones in the cloud layer.

That was what Link told himself, stepping into the black flames with a heavy heart.

_Once you enter this portal, my analysis indicates a 0% chance that you will be able to return, unless you are able to vanquish your foe._

This was it. Oddly enough, Link didn't feel fear. Yes, the fate of the world rested in his hands, the stakes were higher than ever, and the odds were not in his favor, but none of it mattered. It was do or die now, and it wouldn't be his problem anymore after death. He would leave with every regret that he hadn't been able to succeed, but he knew his friends would never stop fighting until this monster was destroyed or the world burned with him. You can't rule what doesn't exist anymore. 

All he had to do was save Zelda, as it had always been. It didn't sound so hard said that way. 

When the flames died down, Link did not expect to see bright colors. The realm Demise had created was bright, light from an unseen sun shining off a shallow sea, though the ground seemed endless beneath him. The reflection of the sky above, clear and blue with few clouds, mocked the world he was used to.

Demise stood a short distance away, waiting for Link. Like the world around him, the demon seemed an illusion, shimmering almost as if a trick of the light. He made no move to attack.

"So you've decided to meet your end in battle after all. It pleases me greatly to see such misplaced valor, human."

Grinning, the monster turned to face him.

"Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings, for where we stand shall serve as your tomb for all eternity. Familiar, isn't it?" he chuckled, gauging Link's reaction. When none came, he growled and paced away from Link.

"The hate for the gods that has boiled in my veins... You will taste all of it in the bite of my blade."

Each step echoed through the realm, though the water never splashed. Link turned his eyes for a second to see it did not wet his boots, and left no trace on anything it touched. Like in a dream. He snapped his attention back to Demise when the demon swung the sword in anger, though not aimed at him.

"It's a shame your gods won't fight me themselves. They know they would never stand a chance, and filled your head with the false belief that you could somehow hold more power than them... they are lucky humans are so arrogant and naive."

Raising his gaze from the black sword to Link, Demise's cruel grin returned. "The only question left is how long you will manage to remain standing before I take your life. Try to keep it interesting for me, would you?"

Laughing as Link finally reacted with a snarl, the demon reached his hand out to Link, clawed fingers beckoning him forward as the fire around his head raged.

"And when you do fall, know that your world and everything in it is mine to dominate! Mine to subjugate! Mine to rule! When I finish with you, you can take solace in knowing your friends and kin will soon follow, as I wipe all who oppose me from the face of this world!"

As if casting a spell, the words changed the realm around them. The sky turned sour, blackening as if a storm were brewing. With it went the sun, and the fake world was plunged into a red glow darker than any Silent Realm. The water beneath them grew murky, and Link began to fear the ground was not as solid or flat as it first appeared.

"... It won't be long now. At last, the almighty power I've sought for millennia... I will take the Triforce for my own... and the world shall be under my foot for eternity!"

Lightning cracked across the sky with a note of finality. Demise stalked forward, sword ready, and Link knew it had begun. Letting the demon come to him, Link raised his shield and whispered to Fi for advice. The spirit appeared next to him, taking a moment to configure her data.

"I have no record of this place. I sense no hostile auras other than Demise."

At the confused glance Link unknowingly sent her way, she hastily amended, "Which doesn't necessarily mean there are no other threats. I was never able to sense Ghirahim's aura, even as it likely rests inside the sword."

Link shook his head. He couldn't fight both of them at the same time. Hopefully the combined forces cracking the sword's gem had finally destroyed him, weakening Demise's power as well. Dodging a burst of energy sent his way, he shouted, "Any ideas for how to fight him? Preferably without getting close, like, I don't know, a Skyward Strike?"

Fi denied his idea. "My projections indicate your current location is a unique space under the control of Demise's magic. I do not believe Skyward Strikes are possible."

"I could try—"

"That would be a waste of time, and leave you vulnerable to attack. The probability that a single, standard attack of yours will injure Demise, Master, is exactly 0%. A series of attacks that can overwhelm Demise's guard is required, such as repeated slashing from various angles."

Link stood his ground as the demon got closer. If there had been one good thing about having to fight Ghirahim, it was learning how to use the element of surprise. Don't telegraph attacks. 

"Okay." He nodded, raising the sword around the shield. "Anything else I should know?"

Though he had found it annoying at first, Link found comfort in Fi's robotic analysis.

"This eternal being has conquered time itself. It is the source of all monsters. According to tales passed down through generations, it appears differently in each epoch and to each person who lays eyes on it. Some say the monster is a shapeshifter, feeding off the fears of those it chooses as a victim."

This information took him by surprise. Link broke his focus on Demise, a mistake he shouldn't have made. The dark blade came down on his shield, and though it didn't graze him, Link was trapped beneath the crushing pressure as Fi chimed in alarm. He looked up into the fiery eyes of the demon looming over him, scrambling back as the monster laughed.

"So your blade is sentient as well? Its knowledge of legend is well-versed, it has been a long time since anything was able to sift through the rumors spread about me." The demon chuckled, dragging the blade towards him through the water. Link was able to distance himself, and turned back in time to see Demise rise to his full height again.

"Let's make this interesting, shall we? What scared you most as you tried in vain to keep me sealed?" The demon asked, already disappearing into a pillar of smoke. Morphing between several shapes, Link could make out black outlines of monsters he had faced, many limbs reaching out in the forms of Koloktos, Tentalus, the Imprisoned.

"This, perhaps?" The voice boomed through the realm, though it no longer sounded like Demise. The change in pitch and intonation made Link's blood run cold.

The smoke cloud dissipated, and in its place stood Ghirahim.

It couldn't be him, though, as the Ghirahim in front of Link still held the sword in his hand, the size of it almost as tall as he was. Stepping out of the lingering smoke, Link was able to see this new figure better.

It certainly _looked_ like Ghirahim, but it wasn't... him. There was something off, in the way he stood, the smile crooked in the wrong way, the eyes devoid of the anger or passion that normally filled them. An aura around the creature flickered, and Link saw the color disappear into a shadowy silhouette for a moment.

"You almost ruined all my plans, I never expected my sword to develop such an... _obsession_ with you."

Eyes widened, Link stepped back. Had Demise known, in the form of the Imprisoned, how he struggled to fight the demon? How many times he had run into him, and nearly failed to make it out alive? Link didn't have nightmares about monsters. He never faltered in the face of eldritch entities twice his size with three times his strength. Ghirahim was different. He was terrified that one day he'd fall under the blade, and through some sick, twisted form of 'mercy', be kept alive long enough to see how horribly he failed. The smile on the creature widened as it stalked forward (though not with as much grace as the real Ghirahim), its sharp teeth flashed, eyes narrowed.

"Oh? Have I struck a nerve here? Interesting. How many times have you already fought him? How many of those fights saw one of you victorious?"

The laughter coming from Ghirahim's mouth sounding wrong, Demise turned away. Though he flinched and subconsciously drew his arms closer to his body, Link wasn't going to let the demon's taunting get a rise out of him. It wouldn't matter once the monster was _dead_.

Demise wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Still in the stolen form, he was holding onto the sword, watching the ripples in the water around its point. Though Link couldn't interact with the world, Demise, its creator, controlled everything.

"This could work well for me. It wouldn't just hurt you, I could kill two birds with one stone and reprimand my wayward servant, taking away what he wanted so greatly with a twist of cruel irony." 

Sighing, he glanced back at Link. "A sword is much more frightening in the hands of someone wielding it, don't you think?" 'Ghirahim' raised the black blade, turning it to catch the light. "It can't do much without a hand guiding it."

Demise swung the blade aimlessly. It came to rest in front of him, still held to the light. Eyes on the gem, he studied the cracks with disdain.

"A shame, I'd have him fight you himself if he wasn't such a disappointment. You trust someone one job and they can't even do that without getting. . . sidetracked."

The disgusted sneer contorted Ghirahim's features as it regarded the blade, too harsh and unrefined to fit the demon's face. He lowered the blade.

"No, victory will not taste as sweet when it is tainted by betrayal. He is not your only fear, and there are much better ways to torment you."

Wicked smile focused on Link, a gust of wind blew the smoke across the demon's stolen features. The form it took remained black, but when its eyes opened, they were the color of blood.

It took Link a moment to recognize who Demise had taken the form of. He was staring back at himself.

It came as no surprise. Link's greatest fear had been failing Zelda, it was natural Demise would exploit this somehow. He had made peace with his own mistakes, and knew, in the end, it would only be remembered if he won or lost now. The "what ifs" of being too late had haunted him at first, especially after every Silent Realm he failed to complete in one try, but his reunion with Zelda had resolved those. To forgive her for their shared past, he had to forgive his part as well. He wasn't fighting himself anymore.

The dark Link frowned at his lack of reaction. It wasn't even his voice when it spoke.

"You've made things so difficult, and I can tell none of this has had enough of an affect on you. I'd like to get this over with, but I promised an interesting battle. It's not often I get to fight someone of your kind as intriguing as you."

Link held his sword out in warning as the demon sauntered forward, blade dragging behind him. There was no sound of metal scraping against the ground, but Link felt as if he could hear the screech in his head.

"So what do you fear, hero? What hurt you most as you fought for your goddess?"

Dismissively deflecting a blow Link aimed to land on him, the false Ghirahim shook his head. Watching as Link stumbled to recover, he pondered him with a new thought.

"Or maybe... what _could_ scare you, had things been different?"

Link barely escaped the growing flames without getting burned. From a distance, he watched the monster grow in height, and he expected to see the form Demise had originally taken again, but this shadow was too thin, too tall, and seemed to flicker with the flames as they flowed around it.

Against the dark smoke, a pale white figure stepped forward. The dust settled, and the horror set in with it.

"She used to look like this, you know."

The monster had taken the form of a woman, towering over Link. Though recognizable as Hylia, it looked nothing like the depictions of the goddess on Skyloft. This version looked more human, and Link could almost see the similarities to Zelda. She looked so out of place in the surroundings, softly glowing with golden light. In her hands the unchanged sword looked small, and the dark blade against pallid fingers broke the illusion. Her white dress was too stiff, her blonde hair lackluster, her dull eyes held no soul. Just like the replica of Ghirahim, Demise's Hylia was unnerving, close enough to fool the victim into believing, but just wrong enough to instill doubt.

"How easily it was forgotten." The soft voice filled with deceptive regret. "It is one thing to forget a form for one who is always changing, to whisper rumors of what it could have looked like, but your imagery of this goddess is a disgrace to her divinity. If she really wanted proper worship, she should have chosen a form your witless race could have recreated. But humans base power and worship on appearance, flocking towards beauty like moths to light..."

The creature laughed wickedly, the sharp sound like scraping glass. From behind it, two large wings spread out, increasing its perceived size by at least twice. With the resulting gust of wind, it flung its arms open, showing off, as the blonde hair danced into the darkened sky.

"Doesn't this inspire awe and power? She could have been feared, ruled the surface as the god she claimed to be! Instead, she coddled her precious Hylians, ignoring those who wished for greater things. Such weak creations to choose... It was her beauty that drew your kind towards her, but it hides a heart as dark as mine."

The creatures wings drew in, deceptively vulnerable. When Link broke from his shock to strike. he was waved aside with a swipe of the sword.

"Playing favorites, saving only her Hylians... she left me the surface, can you blame me for trying to take what is rightfully mine? Hylia abandoned her people when they needed her most."

Link held the Master Sword out as the monster drifted forward, mocking concern staining Hylia's features.

"She used you, didn't she? More than once? Couldn't fight me herself, so she turned to someone who could buy her time?"

Pausing for an answer that never came (and was never truly expected), the concern darkened into a knowing look.

"And the worst part is... you still trust her. You still care what she thinks of you."

Demise laughed as Link slashed the Master Sword, silently asking to just get this over with and fight. He was not so lucky, as the monster just retreated back again.

"And what would she think of **you** , hero? How many chances have you had to defeat me? I've nearly broken free thrice, if you had just been able to use your little Blade of Hero's Bane then, we wouldn't be here. But no, you couldn't keep up. I'm not the only one who can't seem to choose faithful servants."

With a glare at his blade, Demise caused Hylia's face to screw up in anger.

"What horrible things she must think of you, hero. Such a failure. Given explicit directions and can't even follow those. I don't even know if you're worth fighting."

With a flick of her delicate wrist, the Hylia in front of Link turned away. Link only realized what it had done when he felt the water lap at his knees.

As the water began to rise, and Link panicked. It was rising _fast_. Though it hadn't affected him before, the cold, wet feeling as it clung to his clothes clouded his senses. He couldn't swim for long, and certainty couldn't fight like this. Was this how he would meet his end? Drowning in a liquid wasteland, not even able to raise a sword?

With the water up to his neck, he frantically thrashed about, trying to keep air in his lungs. In his panic, his grip on the Master Sword slipped. It sank into the darkness, below his feet and out of his reach. Link couldn't tell how deep the water had gotten, a bottomless depth of black. The red sky was pushing him down, closing in on him. He was trapped. With one last deep gasp, he saw Hylia's dull eyes turn back to him before he sank below.

Just like that, the water was gone. Link no longer felt it on his skin, his clothes and hair dry, as he connected with the ground, face first against a hard surface. He could feel heat bubble up his neck as he pushed himself back to standing, the laughter from the monster horrible. The Master Sword lay in front of him, and he was sure he looked weak when he reached down to pick it up.

"Oh, how scared you looked! I'm not that cruel, I won't go against my word. You wanted a fight, didn't you?"

Raising the blade, the voice dropped in tone, ringing through the air.

"Then fight this."

Link recoiled back as Hylia's— _Demise's_ eyes turned red and filled with overflowing tears, spilling out black over her— **its** dress. The monster's hair caught fire, lighting up like a torch, its skin blackening with soot, cracks burrowing across the flesh. Scales formed in their wake, demonizing the image of the goddess, leaving her more like Demise. Laughing, the monster set the wings on fire, lashing out as Link dodged burning feathers. Even from far away, Link could feel the heat from the inferno rolling over him like waves.

The harsh laughter subsided, Hylia's burnt face still twisted in a smile. An afterthought, the creature brushed soot off the blade. Turning its gaze back to Link, it cocked an eyebrow.

"Or perhaps you'd rather fight. . ." The blaze died down completely, a black cloud surrounding it as the image of Hylia faded and shrank down to Link's height.

"Her."

Link realized the next form before he could properly see it. The voice had changed once again, all too familiar and yet all too foreign to be coming from the body. Out of the black smoke stepped Zelda, her smile too wide and her dress too bright.

"She was so scared." The blue eyes widened, fear quickly filling Zelda's face. She stumbled forward, the sword that never changed shape dragging behind her. "She thought her friend would save her. Her hero. But do you want to know a secret?"

Link drew back, raising his sword. This wasn't Zelda, and no matter what it said, it would never know her.

The monster grinned, whispering, "Hylia knew you couldn't do it, and so did she."

As it had done with Hylia, the monster defiled her appearance, staining the eyes with blood as Zelda's screams filled the watery realm. It lurched forward with a sickening crack, letting Zelda's body fall limp as it barley held onto the dark sword.

Form convulsing, it began laughing again, the sound coming from Zelda's mouth most like the first monster. Her eyes had turned to fire, the same as the first iteration this monster had chosen.

"Oh, little hero, it's your choice. I don't particularly care what form I kill you in. You'll die anyway."

Snapping from his slight daze at Zelda' appearance, Link held the Master Sword out once more.

"Enough games!" He growled, lunging forward to attack. The blade grazed the shoulder of the girl in front of him, and the monster drew back in shocked anger. Without scaly armor or the easy use of the sword to protect it, the demon was vulnerable.

It hurt Link to see the pain on Zelda's appearance, but he would do what had to be done. He didn't have to fight her again, though. In a quickly flash of fire, much less showy, the demon was back to its original form.

"You want to end this quickly? Then so be it. It's your death."

It was finally time. Following Fi's earlier advice, Link dashed forward, each blow blocked by the sword but he kept dealing them. In the back of his mind, he remembered his first fight with Ghirahim again, how the demon had been able to follow his every move.

_So long as you telegraph your attacks you'll never land a blow._

It was almost as if the voice was inside his head. Flipping back from a slice aimed at him, Link took a deep breath.

_Master, I have more information._

This time, the voice **really** was in his head.

_Results from my analysis confirm that the time to strike Demise is when he holds his sword aloft._

_After several hits from your blade, he aims to attack you, either drawing the sword up or to your right. In these openings, you can hit and harm him._

_However, vigilance is required. Any attack falling near Demise's sword has a 100% chance of being blocked._

"Thank you, Fi." Link whispered, before dashing in again. This time, when the blades made contact, instead of drawing the Master Sword up, Link pulled it back toward himself, allowing the next hit to strike from any direction. The blades connected again on the right, which meant Demise could only lift the sword upwards. It was the opening Link needed, and he was able to place a hit on the monster.

Demise roared in pain, the blade coming down at Link's side. It connected with his shield, and though it still hurt him, it was better than being sliced open. He was able to duck out and retreat to catch his breath.

He kept this strategy up, only getting thrown back once or twice (he hadn't expect Demise to hit him with the hand holding the sword). He was down a potion, and had one left, but Link could see signs that Demise was tiring.

He landed a forward thrust. The Master Sword glowed with blue light, and the demon was thrown onto his back.

Breathing heavily, Link watched as it laid there. Had he... done it? Surely that wasn't enough? His question was answered when the demon jumped back up, lightning crackling through the sky. The dark world was lit up with each new strike of electricity. Raising the demon sword skyward, Demise caught a bolt and the blade glowed electric blue with energy.

Link was hesitant to hit the blade again. In past experiences, glowing blades meant the power could transfer from the sword to his, and ultimately to him. He stayed back as Demise stalked forward, trying to pin him with an attack.

_I can confirm it is possible for Demise to store the electrical energy of a lightning strike in his sword and use it to his advantage. Master, should your sword come into contact with Demise's sword once it has electrified, you will receive a painful shock. It is essential that you time your attacks carefully. Very carefully._

Growing frustrated at his evasion, Demise sent the lightning spinning from the blade with a roar. Link dodged it easily, and rushed in to strike, but Demise had the blade skyward again. When it came crashing down, Link was too close.

He screamed in pain, the shock longer and worse than he had experienced before. He could barely hear the growling laughter from Demise, the tide of battle turning back towards him.

Weakly stumbling back, Link was forced to down his last red potion. At a distance again, he was able to avoid the glowing strikes of lightning, but had no way to attack Demise back. Frustrated, and getting sloppy, Link just missed getting hit too many times.

As Demise held his sword aloft to gather more energy, Link felt the air around him crackle. A direct hit from lightning would kill him. He was ready to dash out of its path, but the Master Sword glowed and yelled in his head.

_Master Link, hold your sword skyward._

"Won't that hurt us?" Link gasped, dodging the newest attack.

_Master Link, NOW!_

Quickly doing as he was told, Link held his sword high, bracing for impact. The lightning hit him head on, but it didn't reach his hand. Looking up, he saw the Master Sword alight with energy, glowing as it did with the power of the goddess.

As he would with a Skyward Strike, Link sent the energy forward, straight at the unsuspecting demon. Demise convulsed as the electricity wracked his form, apparently causing enough damage to harm him long enough for Link to strike.

The blows were enough to send Demise onto his back again. Link saw a chance, a moment to use a killing blow, but the demon was back on his feet before he could strike. Both retreating to gather themselves, Link watched him warily.

"Fi... thank you... how did you... know?" Link asked, winded. When the response came, Fi almost sounded out of breath as well.

_I see no reason why you cannot make use of the lightning strikes the same way Demise does._

"How did you... figure that out?"

_It is possible to store lightning in the Master Sword by raising your sword in the air as if you were readying a Skyward Strike. When lightning strikes in the distance and the sky lights up, quickly raise your sword skyward to call down the lightning. However, be aware that while you are attempting to be struck by lightning, you will be leaving yourself open to Demise's attacks._

"Thank you. I think. . . I think we can do this."

_Master Link, I know we can._

As thunder rumbled over head, Link watched the sky explode with light in the distance. Demise was done recovering. This time, when the demon held his sword aloft, Link did so as well, silently praying his lightning would strike first. Though it wasn't the case, he was able to dodge Demise's attack and land right on the spot he needed to charge up the Master Sword.

When the lightning missed, Link was very disappointed.

The following minutes waiting for more strikes from the sky were spent in closer hand to hand combat. Link returned to his previous strategy, but was unable to strike Demise. When the monster jumped back to recharge his weapon, Link copied his movement.

His lightning still didn't hit first, and he just barely dodged the strike from Demise, but the next bolt hit him straight on. Aiming back at Demise, Link was able to get another hit in.

When the demon was thrown back once more, Link went in for the kill.

A bolt of lightning hit him as he was coming down from his leap, electrifying his weapon. The Master Sword shined with divine power as it was driven into the demon's chest. The blade connected with the ground beneath them, slamming hard into the water, sending out a massive pulse of energy. The light from the explosion lit up around them, crackling in the air as waves of electricity poured from the Blade of Evil's Bane.

When the light died down, Link pulled the sword out, splattering the ground with black blood.

It had to be over now, nothing could survive that.

Link waited, watching the broad chest convulse with each dying breath, as the sky above turned black. The world itself seemed to be fading. Tired, he heaved in each breath as he started to let down his guard.

It couldn't just be over, could it.

Snapping back, Link held the Master Sword out once more as Demise struggled to stand. Clutching the glowing wound in his chest, he doubled over, blood pouring out and mixing with the water below. Shaking with anger, he looked back at Link.

"Extraordinary. You stand as a paragon of your kind, human."

With one last burst of strength, the demon lifted his sword into the air, seemingly going for another strike. Link tensed, ready to block, but the blade did not come down towards him.

Demise thrust the sword into the ground, splashing in a pool of watery blood. Heaving, he let go of the hilt, and the blade began to disintegrate. Unlike when Ghirahim normally left, there were no diamonds to signal his parting.

When there was nothing left, Demise looked back to Link, grinning at the worried look on his face.

"You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. Though this is not the end."

He laughed harshly as Link's face scrunched into a glare, the Master Sword back at attention.

"My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again!"

Struggling to keep breathing, the demon raised a hand to Link, cursing him.

"Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse."

Roaring as he doubled over once more, no longer able to keep standing, Demise fell to his knees.

"An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"

With roaring laughter, the demon lifted his arms to the dark sky, fading into oblivion. A black cloud was left in his place, the world around Link turning back to the cloudy blue from when he first came here.

The Master Sword chimed, and as it began to glow, Link held it skyward in resigned triumph. The black essence of Demise flowed into the blade, leaving the demon king trapped for eternity.

_I have confirmed the eradication of the demon king. His residual consciousness has been absorbed into the Master Sword. . ._

_and is now sealed away._

Appearing in front of him, Fi faced Link, smiling genuinely.

"Link. . . it is finally over."


End file.
